Mom Hummingbird Feeds Baby In Guy’s Hand On Video [Video]

A mom hummingbird feeding her baby in a guy’s hand is a cool reminder of just how bold these little mini-birds can be. The cute clip was posted to LiveLeak and YouTube a few hours ago, and it must represent one of the final fledglings of the 2013 hummmingbird breeding season.

As you’ll see when you watch, a man holds a just-fledged or a perhaps fledged-too-early baby hummingbird in his open palm.

If you feed hummingbirds, you already know they fear nothing. Ounce for ounce, they’re among the most aggressive birds out there. And I suspect the guy knew this, which is what inspired him to try to make the video.

I haven’t ever picked up a baby hummingbird. But, sure, I’ve stood there with the feeder or worn a red shirt to make the hummingbirds all go crazy for me.

The mom hummingbird sure wasn’t going to hold back for long from feeding her baby.

But people who don’t know hummmingbirds took this lesson away from it: “Never underestimate maternal instincts. The mother bird was probably scared to death of that guy but she risked her life anyway to feed her baby.”

Nah. She wasn’t scared. She knows she’s way more maneuverable than that clown.

Now I don’t advise anyone to go around looking for baby hummingbirds to pick up. But if for some reason you do see a baby bird on the ground and you’re able to pick it up, then you probably should. Put it in a place to recover where it’s free from attacks by feral cats or wild rodents.

According to the poster’s note on LiveLeaks, at the time of posting the baby bird was recovering in an open window. That seems ideal, since it allows the mom hummingbird to keep bringing the baby food while it rests up for its next flight.

[ruby-throated hummingbird thumbnail photo credit: Jason Paluck via photopin cc]